The answer is to configure DynamoDB on-demand capacity mode and Lambda provisioned concurrency. DynamoDB on-demand instantly accommodates serverless traffic spikes without throttling by scaling to the table’s previous peak, while Lambda provisioned concurrency keeps a set number of execution environments warm, eliminating cold starts and ensuring consistent throughput during sudden bursts. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this pairing tests your understanding of how to decouple scaling responsibilities—DynamoDB handles storage-level unpredictability, and Lambda handles compute-level readiness. A common trap is choosing DynamoDB auto-scaling instead of on-demand, but auto-scaling reacts too slowly for spikes. Remember the mnemonic “Warm Table, Warm Code”—on-demand warms the table, provisioned concurrency warms the code.
DOP-C02 Resilient Cloud Solutions Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of resilient cloud solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is building a serverless application using AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon DynamoDB. The application is expected to have unpredictable traffic patterns. The DevOps team needs to ensure that the application can handle sudden spikes in traffic without throttling. Which TWO actions should the team take? (Choose TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use DynamoDB on-demand capacity mode for the table.
Option A is correct because DynamoDB on-demand capacity mode automatically scales to handle unpredictable traffic spikes without requiring capacity planning or throttling. This mode charges per request and can accommodate sudden bursts of traffic up to the table's previous peak, making it ideal for serverless applications with variable workloads.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Use DynamoDB on-demand capacity mode for the table.
Why this is correct
On-demand instantly scales to handle spikes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Configure Lambda provisioned concurrency to keep a set number of execution environments warm.
Why this is correct
Reduces cold starts and ensures capacity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure DynamoDB auto scaling with a minimum capacity of 10 read/write capacity units.
Why it's wrong here
Auto scaling has a lag; on-demand is better for unpredictable spikes.
✗
Increase the Lambda function timeout to the maximum (15 minutes).
Why it's wrong here
Timeout does not affect concurrency.
✗
Set API Gateway throttling limits to a high value to prevent throttling.
Why it's wrong here
Throttling limits are for protection; setting high values may not be sufficient.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse DynamoDB auto scaling with on-demand capacity, thinking auto scaling can handle sudden spikes as effectively as on-demand, but auto scaling has a lag time and can still throttle during rapid bursts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DynamoDB on-demand mode uses a capacity management algorithm that tracks the table's peak traffic over the past 30 minutes and can instantly absorb bursts up to that peak, with additional capacity available as needed. Lambda provisioned concurrency initializes execution environments ahead of time, eliminating cold starts and ensuring that the function can handle sudden spikes without throttling due to concurrency limits, but it incurs costs even when idle. Under the hood, Lambda's concurrency limit is per region and per account, and provisioned concurrency reserves a portion of that limit, preventing other functions from consuming it.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Resilient Cloud Solutions — This question tests Resilient Cloud Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use DynamoDB on-demand capacity mode for the table. — Option A is correct because DynamoDB on-demand capacity mode automatically scales to handle unpredictable traffic spikes without requiring capacity planning or throttling. This mode charges per request and can accommodate sudden bursts of traffic up to the table's previous peak, making it ideal for serverless applications with variable workloads.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is building a serverless application using AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon DynamoDB. The application must be resilient to sudden spikes in traffic without manual intervention. Which combination of services should be used?
medium
✓ A.API Gateway with throttling, Lambda with reserved concurrency, and DynamoDB auto scaling.
B.API Gateway with usage plans, Lambda with provisioned concurrency, and DynamoDB on-demand.
C.API Gateway with WAF, Lambda with function URLs, and DynamoDB Accelerator (DAX).
D.API Gateway with caching, Lambda with no concurrency limits, and DynamoDB global tables.
Why A: API Gateway with throttling and Lambda with reserved concurrency help manage spikes. DynamoDB auto scaling adjusts capacity.
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This DOP-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DOP-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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